By Omer Tugrul Cam
BRUSSELS (AA) – The EU’s border agency is facing legal action from its Court of Justice {ECJ) for alleged violations of the rights of asylum seekers.
The Court shared a case number on Twitter, the first-time that FRONTEX will face a ruling before ECJ in 17 years of existence.
The ECJ will examine the file on the case and notify litigants if the case has been accepted within two-and-a-half-months
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, lawyers in the case noted the significance of ECJ sharing the case record number and said it shows the importance the Court attaches to the issue.
Last week, lawyers from human rights organizations — "Front-Lex," "Progress Lawyers Network" and "Greek Helsinki Monitor" — filed a petition for FRONTEX's trial on behalf of two refugees.
It was stated that two people from Burundi and Congo, a woman and an unaccompanied child, wanted to seek asylum on the Greek island of Lesbos but were sent back to the sea after allegedly being subjected to violence.
Also noted was that the asylum seekers were allegedly attacked, robbed, detained and forcibly pushed back to the sea on a primitive raft without food or water.
The asylum seekers were reportedly subjected to other push-back incidents previously while seeking protection from the EU.
International human rights organizations, international media and non-governmental organizations assisting asylum seekers have published numerous reports and items that Greece is forcibly pushing back refugees into the Aegean Sea, and FRONTEX is providing de-facto support for push-backs.
Greek authorities, however, continue to deny the reports despite statements from witnesses and video footage proving "push-back" cases.
